The Art Of Learning A New Foreign Language

“I heard that you speak another language,” she said as we entered the bus to head to another Chinese city. We had been touring multiple cities on a trade and investment mission through The People’s Republic of China on a grueling 10-day trip. The tight schedule led us—a distinguished group of government bureaucrats and private sector representatives—through seven cities with only a few short hours to sleep. I met some of the group members for the first time. Despite their easy conversations, there was still a feeling of being an outside visitor intruding on friends. I said a few phrases and greetings in Mandarin to appease and build trust with my Chinese counterparts. I did this the first time years before in Xiamen. The art of learning a new foreign language was to immerse yourself.